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Gaming Figure Cliff Jones Dies18 November 2001LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Nov. 18, 2001 –As reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal: “Cliff Jones, a former lieutenant governor, international casino developer and power broker whose legendary influence earned him the nickname `the Big Juice,’ died Friday at a local hospice. He was 89. ”…Years after he poured cement during the construction of Hoover Dam, Jones founded the law firm that would become Jones Vargas, one of the most powerful firms in Nevada. ”A secret tape recording and the ensuing scandal dimmed his rising political star in 1954 but did nothing to diminish his ability to hatch and foster successful gaming ventures in Las Vegas and abroad. ”Over the years, Jones was the principal operator of at least 24 casinos and had stakes in many more. He played a key role in the founding of such Las Vegas properties as the El Cortez and the Thunderbird. His international holdings included casinos in South America, Asia, Africa and Europe. ”…While a legislator and rising lawyer in the early 1940s, Jones launched what would become a brilliant career as a gaming industry entrepreneur. ”In exchange for securing the lease and gaming license for what would become the Pioneer Club, he was given a 2 1/2 percent interest in the property in 1941. He soon doubled his interest in the Pioneer and acquired a stake in the El Cortez. ”…His business successes continued to multiply, with Jones engineering an extraordinary number of deals that helped shape the Strip and downtown in the 1950s and 1960s. ”At various times, he held interests in the Pioneer, El Cortez, Thunderbird, Golden Nugget, Algiers, Westerner and Dunes. ”Jones soon began expanding his gaming interests to other countries, traveling to Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and Latin America. At various times, he controlled businesses in dozens of countries across the world…” |